AI career optimism lags at 67% despite high adoption: Robert Walters

Automation-driven job displacement topped the concerns list at 48% for the surveyed professionals.

Singapore posted high artificial intelligence (AI) adoption but ranks amongst the least optimistic in Asia about the technology's impact on their careers.

According to Robert Walters' report "The Jobs of Tomorrow: How AI is Reshaping Work Across Asia," 89% of Singaporean professionals use AI at work. Yet only 67% believe AI will positively affect their career opportunities, one of the lowest figures amongst Asian markets along with Hong Kong, and just 59% are confident they can keep their skills up to date.

Professionals in Mainland China (88%), Vietnam (83%), and Japan (80%) were amongst those that have the highest confidence when it comes to positive impact of AI on their career.

Topping the list of concerns amongst Singaporean professionals was automation-driven job displacement at 48%, followed by potential bias or unfair treatment from AI-driven decisions (42%) and anxiety over skills becoming obsolete (41%).

"The findings show that there is a need for companies to invest in reskilling as a core strategy, in view of the anxiety about falling behind or being unable to keep up as jobs evolve," said Kirsty Poltock, country manager of Robert Walters Singapore.

"In an AI-driven workplace, we found in our Salary Survey that Critical thinking & fact-checking, Data Analysis, and Adaptability are the top skills companies are looking for as well," she added.

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